Yorkshire and Humber Regional Disability Network

Organisation name

Yorkshire & Humber Regional Disability Network (YHRDN)

Summary

The YHRDN is part of a project within the Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Forum. The forum set up the network for disability groups in the region, but after meeting once, interest in the network petered out. Electroville (an ICT support organisation based in Dewsbury) carried out a piece of research to identify the needs and purpose of such a network and organised another meeting to re-establish the Forum.

What happened?

Electroville convened a meeting of the Forum and demonstrated e-groups, blogs, forums, Web 2.0 social networking websites to the members – and how these technologies could help communication between forum members.

After the session, the Forum decided that it would set up a Yahoo! e-group and start a web presence by having a page within the Regional Forum website. Yahoo! e-groups were chosen because: 

  • Yahoo! e-groups are well known and supported within the voluntary sector
  • Free and easy to set up and maintain 
  • Membership requires only a valid email address 
  • Shared message archives and photo albums 
  • Group event calendars 
  • Member polls and shared links 
  • Subscribers to e-groups can choose to receive either all mail or a daily digest summarising that day’s email
  • Email can be accessed via a web browser or downloaded to the subscriber’s computer

In the long-term, the Forum aims to commission a website and is currently working through the issues.

What difference has ICT made? 

  • The Yahoo! e-group has provided a stop-gap solution for the Forum and network members whilst it researches the case for launching its own website
  • Communication between members has improved, raising awareness of local disability events and news
  • The group is in its infancy and currently has 24 members

What was learnt?

  • E-groups may be web 1.0 technology, but are still valid tools for bringing together a community of interest – such as disability groups.
  • Joining a Yahoo! e-group does not require a Yahoo! user account. This is worth knowing because signing up for a Yahoo! account is not particularly accessible to users with visual impairments.

Find out more

Organisation’s web address

www.yhregforum.org.uk

Regional Champion
Colin Harrison – Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Champion (Electroville)

Knowledgebase

 

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